The Northern Half
by Musingsage
Summary: Some nations thrive, others want to die. North Korea falls into the latter category. Rated for language and thoughts of suicide.


Why did he have to hurt so badly? Why couldn't the gnawing hunger end? That was the only source of pain. Nothing else hurt. But that alone could bring him to tears. Each rumble of his belly echoed those of his people. They hungered, they held on to little hope. So did he.

Everyday at work his boss told him things would improve. He'd been saying that for years now. Ever since…

Ever since the day he'd been born.

On that memorable day Russia took half his brother's land.

Oh, how he feared Russia. The taller northern nation terrified him. So much so he followed his orders without hesitation. While Russia built a communist government in his half of the country, Amer…

America.

That damned Yank. The stupid nation had caused all this. The Yank hadn't fought to keep his older brother in one piece. No, the idiot had been too busy to look after another nation. Well, now the piece of shit had his just reward. North Korea hated, no _loathed_ the Yank. Everything was his fault and his alone.

No, North amended. It wasn't just the Yank fault, it was Japan's.

Japan had gotten him involved in the first place. His dear older brother took over the peninsula. If he hadn't the Yank and Russia wouldn't have split the land. If they hadn't split the land he wouldn't exist. If he didn't exist his people wouldn't be suffering.

His people.

North Korea cared only for his people. They suffered because of Yank, Russia and Japan. None of them cared for his situation. For the people under his roof who went to bed hungry. They were all wrapped up in their own business, trampling everyone in their way.

Such was the way of Empires. China, if anything, had taught him that.

China.

The only one he cared for. Yet, China didn't seem to care for him. He had done nothing to stop the splitting. But, China was his only real life line. The only one he could really trust.

His older brother was even dumber than Yank. This was saying a great deal. For a while he'd thought no one could be dumber than Yank. Then he'd met his brother. How the dumb ass survived this long was beyond him.

The worst of it was that if they ever reunited he would die. But his people would be safe. So he didn't really care. He accepted, even welcomed that fate.

Of course his wretched Boss wouldn't let that happen. The asshole didn't care for the people. To his boss they were only tools. If they were otherwise in his eyes, the people wouldn't be starving. They would be happy and healthy.

They weren't.

North Korea knew how unhappy they were. His boss refused to listen. By god he loathed that man.

Tears streamed down his face. Why couldn't it end? Why couldn't he and his brother reunite? Why couldn't his people be better? Why couldn't he die? He hadn't wanted to live in the first place. Everything was falling apart. One day he'd fall apart and die. That wasn't how he wanted to go. He wanted to follow Prussia's way and know his people were safe. This was no way for a nation to live. Everything fell apart in the end. Communism only sped up the coming fall.

If only his people would be safe again.

Then, and only then would he embrace the fall.

Until then he hung on tooth and nail.

China would help him.

Japan and America would undo their mistake. (If his boss ever stopped being a dick that was.)

He would be reunited with his brother.

Living as a nation didn't matter if his people weren't happy.

In some corner of his mind, North suspected Russia understood that.

Of course he couldn't know.

The fall was coming. He couldn't avoid. If only his people would be safe.

That was all that mattered to him.

Beating America no longer mattered. Russia's aid no longer mattered. His boss' reassuring words stopped mattering along time ago.

Only his people. For them and only them he held on. For them he lived. If only he could do something for them.

* * *

><p>AN: the idea came to me after reading Heartstrings by Chibi-Ra-Chan. They mentioned how N. Korea is usually protrayed as an evil or cruel character (not sure how true that it, but whatever). Yet doesn't a nation's behavior depend on the people not the leader? With that in mind I wrote this. Some of the language used, I'd never say, but it seemed to fit with the character.


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